He Shoots, He Scores!

Restaurant Dec 19, 2008 The Waffle 1 Comment I was off today, and decided to pick Melissa up for lunch.  She had an errand to run at the SAAQ – a Quebec driver’s licence, no less – just by picking that up she improves her driving about 40% over an Ontarian licence holder – and I thought lunch would be a nice reward for becoming a good driver. I enticed her into going to Scores in the Mont-Bleu area of the Hull sector in Gatineau.  It would be a change from St-Hubert, a definite Melissa favorite. Scores is a Montreal-based chain of restaurants, established in 1995, which has 38 locations in Quebec and 3 more in Ontario, with plans to open new locations in Ottawa and Oakville. It was bought in 2005 by PDM Royalties Income Fund, who also owns Pizza Delight, Mikes and Bâton Rouge.  (You can find my latest post on…

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Georges Lounge and Grill

General Dec 13, 2008 The Waffle 1 Comment In the Fall of 2007, in the old Au Coq building on St-Joseph in Hull , opened Georges, a trendy-looking lounge and grill by the owner of La Station, a Gatineau deli I wrote about here. Georges’ menu is self-described as eclectic, but their specialty clearly is beef.  Prime Rib and steaks are at the heart of their offerings, but you can also find a few pasta dishes, poultry and seafood.  They even have a gourmet poutine section in their menu.

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Chez Pacini, si Italien à si bon prix!!!

Restaurant Dec 11, 2008 The Waffle 3 Comments A lot of my Italian friends would scream bloody murder at the mere mention of this chain of Italian-style bistros. Especially Laura.  But I am quite fond of Pacini. And for some reason, I have a history of girlfriends who also liked Pacini very much, which makes for cheap romantic dates. That’s right. For sure, it is not top-of-the-line Italian cuisine, but it is not fast food either.  The cuisine is simple, the prices are very reasonable, and the atmosphere very friendly.  Their wine selection is not great, but I’ve seen worse. Pacini launched a new menu last fall, inspired by the work being done at the Pacini culinary academy (located at Bassano Del Grappa, near Venice), with a marketing strategy driven by italo-quebecker singer Mario Calliari.  You can even buy his CDs there, apparently, although he must be very popular because last time…

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NDP Christmas Party

Politics Dec 10, 2008 The Waffle 3 Comments What would the Holiday Season be without a series of Holiday Partys on and around Parliament Hill.  Each political party has its own, lobby groups and communication shops do too. The New Democratic Party was of course hosting its own fest, with food and booze and attempts at humour.  This year we were at 200 West Block, a very spacious room where this party has been held before.  The other location has been the Hall of Honour in Centre Block, but not this year. For those who have been around the Hill a long time, they know what to expect:  a buffet of salads – caesar, coleslaw, mushrooms, squash, garden, and carrots and raisins.  There are lots of different opinions about the selection – I personnally think it is not bad, everything being pretty fresh if not overly tasty.  The squash salad is…

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Ramen noodles

Recipes Dec 9, 2008 The Waffle 1 Comment For some strange reason, Melissa wanted to try this recipe she found in Chatelaine.  So we did, but we adapted it by changing the veggies. Beef ramen with veggetables 2 85-g pkgs beef-flavoured ramen-noodle soup mix 2 tbsp of vegetable oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced 3/4 lb top sirloin beef 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp of soy sauce 2 tsp hot chili-garlic sauce 1 tsp dark sesame oil 2 cups of chopped green and red peppers 1 cup of sliced celeri 1. Bring 4 cups (1 L) of water to a boil. Remove seasoning mix from packages and set aside. Place noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water overtop. Soak until tender, about 3 min. Drain and set aside. 2. Meanwhile, slice beef into small strips. Coat a large frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. Add onion and beef. Stir-fry until onion starts to…

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